[Paladin]

Shoma makes a new friend and has to save him from a Granute attack.

[Zolda]

The Granute of the week (the bento shop owner) submits 5 humans as last month's harvest to a Stomach field agent. Those acrylic stands are called the Hito Press. Granutes don't actually eat humans, at least not directly. They need to transform the human targets into a Hito Press via their Gavvs to kidnap them and submit them to a field agent, and then the field agents submit those Hito Pressed humans to the factory to be processed, refined, and maybe also to get their souls extracted into Dark Snacks ingredients (the so-called "spice"). So, Granutes likely eat the essence/souls of humans (Dark Snacks) through their upper mouth, not through their Gavvs. A Granute's Gavv is not actually a mouth, but a tool to convert a human into a Hito Press. But I think there could be one or several Granutes who attempted to actually eat a human directly via their Gavvs, or even their mouths. I wonder what the result would be. The residual dregs (the bodies of the human victims) are likely left unused. Are they just disposed as industrial waste, or are there still uses for them? It'd be interesting if those dregs/empty bodies are used as a basis for Stomach troops. I have a hypothesis that as long as those bodies are still intact, if combined with the souls extracted to Dark Snacks then the original humans may be able to be resurrected. Also, are Dark Snacks the only source of food for the Granutes in their homeworld, or are they just luxury products? If Dark Snacks are luxury products, then what do the middle/lower-class Granutes eat there? Do they eat the same artificial foods like the one eaten by Shouma and his mom as shown in episode 2 @ 11:35? Maybe!

Jeebh is informed @ 00:43 by a field agent that a part-time worker is missing again. Is that worker a forced labor like Shouma like I hypothesized last week? Why are Stomach factory's part-time workers constantly disappearing? Are they disappearing simply because the pay is bad, or is it because forced labor is also involved? Are those workers Granutes or human-Granute hybrid like Shouma?

In the scene @ 01:15 Shita shows Jeebh a photo from a social media post about KR Gavv's appearance in episode 1. Jeebh wonders if it's a Granute, and says that if there's a strange-looking Granute like that then it would've been the talk of the town of the Granute's world. Shita and Jeebh conclude suspiciously that it could be a human. So, Shouma's red Gavv is likely the result of him being a human-Granute hybrid, something not known in the Granute world. If Shita, Jeebh, and the other Stomach siblings already encountered Shouma (and his mom) in the beginning of episode 1, then had they already known that Shouma is not an ordinary Granute, but a human-Granute hybrid? If they had indeed known about it, then it should be simple for them to connect the dots and conclude that the strange-looking Granute (KR Gavv) is Shouma who escaped the factory just 2 weeks ago. The relationship between the Stomach siblings, Shouma, his mom, and father Stomach needs to be elaborated more.

The victim of the week (Mr. Sujimoto) says @ 05:30 that snacks are foods he eats on special occasions such when he's happy or sad. Sujimoto describing snacks as comfort foods reminds Shouma of his mom's words about wanting to eat potato chips when what she was actually eating was some kind of artificial food. That artificial food was likely a replacement food intended for consumption by humans that live in the Granute world.

Hanto shows the same social media post Jeebh and Shita saw earlier to his boss (Mr. Shioya) @ 07:00. He mentions the rumor about a Kamen Rider, a monster that some people said had helped them instead of attack them. When Mr. Shioya asked which on is which, Hanto can't give the answer because he hasn't had any clear, definitive evidence, but he still believes that those monsters are of the same species that attacked his mom (Sae Karakida) 18 years ago. Hanto's drawing shows a Granute with a red Gavv, so could it means that there is (or was) another Granute like Shouma, a human-Granute hybrid? Or perhaps this elusive Granute was 100% Granute but used the prototype/trial version of the red Gavv, and the final version is the one used by Shouma. Could it be Shouma's dad aka father Stomach? Like I've hypothesized since episode 1, this could mean that the red Gavv was some kind of a secret/confidential project within the Stomach organization. Another interesting thing is the fact that the elusive Granute that attacked Hanto's mom had an actual mouth in its kaijin form, completely different compared to other Granutes (including the Stomach siblings) who have no mouths in their kaijin forms, only Gavvs. I have a hypothesis that this elusive Granute could be some kind of wild/feral Granute that ate humans directly, not via Dark Snacks. What are Granutes anyway? Are they just inhabitants of another dimension like the Noto, or are they evolved humans similar to the Orphenochs in KR Faiz, or are they artificial species like the Amazons?

Mr. Shioya says @ 08:04 that he doesn't want Hanto to do something dangerous when he finds out the identity of the Granute who killed his mom, and also @ 08:10 he says that he's a surrogate parent to Hanto, which means Mr. Shioya is likely some kind of moral compass to Hanto. Mr. Shioya is to Hanto like Kyouka was to Spanner in KR Gotchard.

Mr. Sujimoto brings Shouma to an empty house with the pretense of checking the water @ 08:28, but what he actually needs is Shouma's strength to break into the house to steal some money. Several Gochizous then conveniently appear out of nowhere to tidy up the house. Are those Gochizous following Shouma or are they kept by Shouma? Why do they help Shouma to follow potential victims or during filler/fight scenes like this, but not when Shouma needed foods in the beginning of episode 2? If the Gochizous had helped him find some foods in the beginning of episode 2, then he wouldn't have collapsed and he wouldn't have met Sachika. It seems like the Gochizous appear and disappear from scenes according to what the story needs, not when it makes sense and supposed to work as dictated by the internal logic. It looks like a plot convenience.

Hanto is called Hanti by Sachika and Ritsu @ 09:49, and is considered a regular customer because has ordered their service 3 times. This time he's ordering them to help him find some info from social media about KR Gavv. He also thinks that KR Gavv is a human @ 16:09.

An unknown man kidnaps Chocodon and Chocodan RG's @ 20:26. He later reveals himself @ 21:11 as a self-professed Granute researcher named Kenzou Suga. The funny thing is that the first kanji (酸/sen) of his name (酸賀研造/Suga Kenzou) actually means acid. So, my hypothesis here about the appearance of characters whose names contains the types of taste in Japanese language is likely correct. Is he working alone? I doubt it. He's likely funded/supported by a clandestine organization that has been secretly investigating the Granute invasion, like I've hypothesized since 3 weeks ago here and here. This organization, via Kenzou, is likely the one who will provide Hanto with the Valen Buster. This organization could be this season's murky/suspicious yet powerful clandestine organization akin to ZECT, Yggdrasill, Fenix, etc. I think Kenzou could be this season's Ryoma Sengoku or George Karizaki. If my hypotheses are correct, then there's a high chance that he'll also henshin into the third or fourth Rider.

Like I mentioned last week, Shita and Jeebh are surprised to see the actual appearance of Shouma's red Gavv. This may imply that the existence of the red Gavv has likely been a rumor/hearsay within the Stomach and the general Granute society. Was it really a part of a secret/confidential project within the Stomach organization?

Next week:

The debut of KR Gavv Fuwamallow form. It's shown in the fight scene that the field agents also function as grunts. I wonder why field agents are allowed to appear in their kaijin forms (or wear a gaudy, strange-looking helmet/mask and a suspicious-looking black uniform) in the human world, but other Granutes (including the Stomach siblings) aren't. Why don't the field agents also wear human clothes and put on their human disguises?

Kenzou says to Hanto in the preview section @ 23:08 that the Granutes' aim is to kidnap humans and use them as spice for snacks. Yep, if he knows this far, then it seems like he's part of an organization that has long researched about the Granutes' invasion.

Shouma's mom will appear again in a flashback scene of the event that happened right before the beginning of episode 1. What actually happened in the Stomach factory at that moment? Was Shouma actually forced to work there? And is she still alive?

Lango says to Shouma and his mom during the same flashback scene @ 23:13 that humans aren't their families, so yes, Shouma (a human-Granute hybrid) was likely seen by the Stomach siblings as a lowly half-blood that's only suited for forced labor, and his mom (a human) was seen as a prey.

The most interesting thing so far is Kenzou's background and the organization he's working for, if it's indeed the case. I'm curious as to who his benefactors are.

[Eclipyon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zolda

Jeebh is informed @ 00:43 by a field agent that a part-time worker is missing again. Is that worker a forced labor like Shouma like I hypothesized last week? Why are Stomach factory's part-time workers constantly disappearing? Are they disappearing simply because the pay is bad, or is it because forced labor is also involved? Are those workers Granutes or human-Granute hybrid like Shouma?

Seems pretty obvious that they're referring to the two Granutes that was killed by Shoma from the previous two episodes.

[Kiwami]

Yeah I'm mad in love with this show. It scratches every itch a Rider show could potentially scratch for me. I absolutely adore how old-school the approach to setting up the story is, yet how modern the adaption is handled.

"Stranded outcast from another world travels around the country, finding new people every week and learns about new things while protecting the people who call him a monster in secret" is so Showa it hurts, but in a good way. All of this pepped up with ridiculously fun designs and visuals. This is how you make a candy-theme work. By not letting the wackiness overstay its welcome.

I really enjoyed the plot of this week, I'm not sure it is intended to be an overarching theme, but this show is very thoughtful about not dealing in absolutes. Sachika wants to make "everyone" happy, Shoma asks every Granute if they would rather drop evildoing and stop, this week's plot character was a criminal, but on with a heart who had good intentions, but chose the wrong path to make them reality.

I was surprised to see Shoma's gentle nature being taken advantage of this fast and how well it was handled too. In fact, the crimes were not even brushed under the table, even though the money wasn't taken and the Minions cleaned the place up, it seems the crimes were confessed, if I understood the dialogue at the end correctly. So he didn't even let himself off the hook when he easily could, he admitted and wants to make up for it, that's a great lesson.

I'm also glad that they sprinkle in some reality checks when it comes to eating sweets, last week had the toothbrush, this week that snacks should be eaten in measures, and that proper meals are necessary for getting energy. On one hand they don't have to do this, but as a kids show I'm happy to see they address it, on the other hand I'm glad it isn't ham-fisted and not done like an educational advertisement. Just a simple reminder.

Top all of this with a super fun action sequence. Man those "fizzy" water effects were so clean, what an awesome way to use practical and CG-effects together, I love that. Also, the use of sound effects is super clever (and I'm dumb), because I didn't even realize before that Gavv can use his "squishiness" to propel himself off of surfaces, that's how he achieves his version of the trademark "Rider Jump"-ability

Interesting that they introduce a new character who researches Granutes? He took the chocolate Minions so I assume he will be responsible for creating Valen's transformation device?

[Zolda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipyon

Seems pretty obvious that they're referring to the two Granutes that was killed by Shoma from the previous two episodes.

Yes, you're right. I completely misread the context in this episode and also in episode 2, haha.

[DreadBringer]

The current victim of the week, Yahiko Sujimoto, is rather different compared to Hajime or Sachika. He's seemingly a thug who attempts to attack Shoma for accidentally splashing his gummy at him. However, when Shoma actually faints, Sujimoto feeds Shoma and explains about proper eating in his rough way. It turns out that he really is a thug who wants to steal and gets Shoma to help him, although it's for noble intentions of repaying the man who took him from the streets. But many criminals can do their crimes for noble intentions.

Criminals like Sujimoto are also typically treated as obvious "others" or "monsters" who need to be purged by society, not only the monster species like Shoma as a half-Granute. Good and bad come from the same place, from humans in this case; they all have a capacity for both good and bad. Separating the bad humans as "monsters" would only divert attention away from human issues and perpetuate bad deeds. Acknowledging how they're the same humans can lead to awareness of factors that lead to harmful actions and take steps to prevent them.

As someone who gives chances to Granutes to walk away despite their crimes, Shoma disapproves of Sujimoto's actions, and Sujimoto can't resist due to Shoma's superhuman strength. But Shoma also tries to reason with him about the reason for Sujimoto committing crimes (to which he gets an honest answer) and saves him from Granute Bon. For the capacity of both good and bad, Sujimoto realizes the error of his ways when he learns his boss took him not to be repaid, unlike Sujimoto feeding Shoma, and he changes for the better.

About someone kind and heroic being often said to be only suspect to be taken advantage of, Shoma objects to that where being kind isn't only about helping anyone near you, but also about preventing wrongdoings. Because as he said, even if Sujimoto is helped, he'd harm Yamada. This also should mean that kind people should reject themselves being hurt by the people who take advantage of them, as it would perpetuate their crimes. Otherwise, Sujimoto makes Shoma realize that he's eating snacks to cope over Michiru's fate.

Hanto already knows both Sachika and Ritsu, with Sachika nicknaming him Hunty. Hanto seems to be a bit standoffish to keep his distance away from both girls, as well as arguing with Kenzo Suga at the end over the Kamen Rider topic. Wonder how useful Kenzo would be as a scientist in toku. I still wonder who posts Gavv's fighting on social media; it's done during Gavv's fight so that Sachika can track him, and Hanto finally can see Gavv.

[Mesnick]

Well, in this episode, Friend of the Week tries to use Shouma. However, our hero turns out to be not so naive and familiar with the concept of robbery. Duty to the savior prompts him to think, from which he draws the right conclusions. Fortunately, the unfortunate robber turns out to be a good person, and the words of the “monster” completely discourage him from committing a crime.
In addition, Sujimoto only stole from acquaintances, which suggests that he intends to return the money when the crisis passes.
Hanto meets a Granute researcher who will most likely develop Valen's rider system. I'm wondering why these characters weren't combined into one. We also learn that he knows Sachika, although their relationship is far from friendly.
It was also very funny to see Hanto being surprised by what has long been a standard for the genre.
The battle was beautiful, and the enemy was stronger than his predecessors. Even though the big fist is not a new form, it was still cool to watch. Gochizo also continue to demonstrate their usefulness.
The next episode will feature a lot of marshmallows and the first battle against the crowd.

[Sunred]

Can't wait for Hanto to be Valen now that Suga has finally shown up assuming Suga is the one behind the Valen tech.

[gashatfreak]

I love how this episode shows that Shouma might be naive, but he's not an idiot. He knows what's right and what's wrong, and this sheer innocence is quite delightful to watch.

Didn't expect someone actively researching Granutes, though I guess it makes sense. Valen has to get his gear somehow.

Honestly, my leading theory int his show has to do with the Dark Treats. They're shown to be addictive, and Stomach Inc. targets rich folk through their 'premium line' (as said in a previous episode), implying the existence of a regular line. Additionally, the show's producer blog said that the heirarchy of the Granute world will play an important part in this show later on. It's possible that Dark Treats are being used to subjugate the lower-class Granutes under the control of Stomach Inc. through their addictive qualities. You can't question the rule of your rulers if they're feeding you food that causes severe withdrawal symptoms after all. If this theory ends up being correct or close to the truth, then there's some real Promised Neverland stuff going on here.

[MaskedRiderAsakura]

This show is just firing on all cylinders for me right now. The cast, action, storytelling, the HEAVY Showa/Early Heisei vibes with some Neo-Heisei/Reiwa flare sprinkled in. And the visuals are amazing.

I really liked the VotW story this time around, too. A criminal, but one who has good intentions and just chose the wrong way to go about them is just not a plot we see often in Rider. And Shoma has grown fast on me as a lead. He's innocent and wholesome, but not stupid enough to let himself be taken advantage of.

It's still too early to call it, but Gavv is having a very strong start IMO